Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

Maybe the most famous Hollywood film in history, I think. I bought the DVD of it for 500 yen recently.

The film was 3 hour and half long and all color though it was produced in 1930's. The story of a passionate and selfish daughter of plantation owner who lived through the Civil War period.

The first public showing in Japan was 1950's because of the war. Many say how come we tried to provoke the war against the country which could produce such dynamic film.

Yes, the film was great. I was really impressed when I first saw the film at younger age.

But now I grew up and see the film from different angle. Well, it still impresses me although it is not best film for me any more.

Beautiful, dynamic scenes, georgeous outfit and interior. Actors do very serious and dynamic acts. Easy to understand script to follow the storyline and its background.

It contains basic elements of entertainment film maybe like "Titanic" and current greatest hit "Avater." 

The story was well-done. It was made politically correct as Mammy was taken as a very important character in the story taking into account the time the film was made and in fact a Black actress who played that role won the Academy's best supporting actress award.

However, romantisizing or beautifying the tradition of slavery in the South before the Civil War was not something we should get along. Slavery was wrong. The wealth of the South was consequence of exploitation of Africans. It is like the old western movies that portrayed native Americans as savages and cavalries, the police for white invaders as heroes.  

Furthermore, the story is unrealistic. Scarlett who was born in wealthy plantation owner's family and spoiled could live through the turmoil of the war and managed to revive the wealth. She was really fictional character.

I think the theme of the story is what is real "good." Real "good" person is realist who knows how to survive and prevail in real world getting along with reality. Scarlett played a kind of role model for that. But no one could live like that. Those who could live like that are never impressed by this film because they think it is very common practice.

Interesting fact is when the film was first released in the U.S. It was near the second world war. The situation of its enemy, Japan was similar to the Southern Confederation. People believed braveness could beat the enemy states.

After the war Japan was democratised by Yankees and the old elite class people lost so much of their asset by high rate tax imposed on them. Their glory days were gone with the wind like the Southern plantation owners portrayed in the film. The below photo is former house of the old elite class people in Tokyo. Now it has become museum park for anbody to visit and have tea and sweets.

Me, having tea and sweets there.

I like the ending of the film because it is not happy ending. In reality happiness doesn't last so long. If you get something good, you should lose something else. But don't get depressed too much, there is a way out and think to find a new way of living.

Yes, you can because tomorrow is another day.   

John Wayne played as U.S. diplomat, Townsend Harris who arrived in Shimoda, Japan 1850's. All the scenes were filmed in Japan 1950's.

Surprised to know John Wayne, a famous cowboy actor was in Japan for filming such historical story.  

I do not know if the film was based on accurate historical facts. The movie overall was not bad but the actress who played as Geisha serving Harris did not act well.

It is a story of US diplomacy which forced or persuaded Japan to open up door to the rest of the world. That was the beginning of Japan's modernization after more than 2 centuries of Seclusion period. Ending seclusion was a big controversy at that time and there was pros and cons among the government. Some politician tried to assasinate pro-open Japanese politician and Harris.

This film made me think what was the relationship between two countries. After the first treaty was signed between the two, the both worked together to counter Russia in 1904-1905 but in 1940's the two entered the war. U.S. won, occupied and democratised Japan.

After the second world war, the world went through the Cold War Period, Japan sided with the U.S. That gave Japan favourable position against the U.S. The U.S. had to treat Japan nicely to prevent communism from spreading in Asia. Japan could receive great financial aid from the U.S. and export goods to the U.S. market.

The U.S. won the Cold War. The U.S. became only superpower of the world.

But 911, the war in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lehman shock changed the things.

The U.S. is no longer dream world nor role model for the democracy. 

I, myself recently stopped being very much familiar with the U.S. The U.S. has become one of foreign countries I know.

Especially since military issues such as deployment of CVN 73 in Yokosuka and relocation plan for Futenma base in Okinawa were raised.

I don't like America any more even though I lived there for more than 5 years as college student and know good people over there.

Things changed.

Japanese attitude towards American has really changed recently, the number of Japanese students studying in the U.S. has dropped almost by half from the period I was there and sales of Hollywood films dropped drastically in recent years. Now more than half of the sales comes from Japanese films, but a few years ago it was opposite.

Well, any diplomacy among states is purely based on pragmatism unlike personal relationship.

We have things owing to the U.S. but America is America. Japan is Japan.

After all, most people like to live in their homeland because that is where they get used to living.  

Please listen to the music. It is a good one.

Umi Yukaba (If I go away to sea).

I like it. I can feel the souls of dead soldiers belonging to Japanese army.

The song is played with translated lyrics (English and Russian).

The song is not played in public any more because it souds encouraging military men to die.

But it had been considered Japanese imperial army's anthem and second national anthem until the end of second world war.

The below one is without lyric subtitle but with adequate images for the song.

I never support war actions for invasion but I like the song anyway.

Recently controversial Manga (Comic) book was published in Japan. The comic was digest version of what is written on original thick book, "Mein Kampf (My Struggle)."

Left one is comic and right one is Japanese complete translated version.

As you know it was written by Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi-Germany, the book described his biography from when he was childhood until imprisonment after Munich rebel in 1923. It contains so much of Anti-semitism.

The pictures of the book reminds me of CBS Minis-Series "Hitler, The Rise of Evil." Surely the book and the drama should somewhat overlap because both are at least partially based on the same book.

In Germany publication of the book is banned. Actually the book wasn't very popular one at the time it was published.

This comic version is one of the series of classic literature including "Crime and Punishment," and "Faust."

I am recently very interested in Hitler and Nazi-Germany. How he got on the top and why such atrocities happened.

Recently Japan experienced similar phenomenon, an Air Force Chief was fired because of his provocative essay released in public which contradicts Japan's position of war responsibility and justified what Japan did to neighboring nations such as occupation and colonization.

His statement to the government's treatment was really similar "Strangely I was fired because I've made good statements for the nation."

After he left defense ministry, he became an icon among right-wing people. He published several books and made speeches all over the nation. I am sure he will run candidancy for next coming election. Strangely I, not so conservative person have been very much attracted to him since his public appearance. I bought one of his books. I went to his speeches and shook hands with him. Please read this if you want to know more about my passion for him. That is why I am feared. He has charisma and intelligence to lead people.

So that is why I am studying things about Hitler and Nazi-Germany.

I am now writing a novel which the story takes place in 1930's Germany on this blog. The theme of the novel is Nazism versus liberalism such as Bauhaus art. Please read "Bauhausler" if you are intereted.